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Kalidasa
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- "Kalidasa" redirects here. For the true bug genus, see Kalidasa (insect).
Kalidasa (Devanagari: "servant of Kali") was a renowned Classical Sanskrit writer, widely regarded as the greatest poet and dramatist in the Sanskrit language. His floruit cannot be dated with precision, but most likely falls within the Gupta period, probably in the 4th or 5th century or 6th century.
His place in Sanskrit literature is akin to that of Shakespeare in English.
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- "Kalidasa" redirects here. For the true bug genus, see Kalidasa (insect).
Kalidasa (Devanagari: "servant of Kali") was a renowned Classical Sanskrit writer, widely regarded as the greatest poet and dramatist in the Sanskrit language. His floruit cannot be dated with precision, but most likely falls within the Gupta period, probably in the 4th or 5th century or 6th century.
His place in Sanskrit literature is akin to that of Shakespeare in English. His plays and poetry are primarily based on Hindu mythology and philosophy.
Life
Nothing apart from his works is known with certainty about the life of Kalidasa, such as his period or where he lived.
Date
A terminus ante quem is given by the Aihole Prashasti of 634 AD, which has a reference to his skills; and a terminus post quem can be presumed from his play
Malavikagnimitra in as much as the hero, King Agnimitra of the Shunga dynasty, assumed the throne of Magadha in 152 BC. The linguistic features of the Prakrit dialects used by some of the minor characters in his plays have been adduced to suggest that he could not have lived before the 3rd century AD. There has been great ambiguity regarding the exact date of Kalidasa but in 1986, Sanskrit scholar Dr. Ramchandra Tiwari of bhopal claims to have conducted a thorough research on Kalidasa and after analysing 627 archaelogical evidences which included 104 sculptures, 30 pictures and 493 scriptural words determined that Kalidasa lived in the period 370-450AD . One of the archaelogical proofs was provided by Padmanbh Sheshshayi Lakshminarayan.
In his works, Kalidasa did not mention any king as his patron, or any dynasty other than the Shunga dynasty, but several historians have credited the traditional account of Kalidasa as one of the "nine gems" at the court of a king named Vikramaditya. There were, however, several kings in ancient India by that name. One among them was the Tuar Rajput emperor Vikramaditya of Ujjain who founded the Vikrama Samvat following his victory over the Sakas in 56 BCE. Scholars have noted other possible associations with the Gupta dynasty, which would put his date in the range of 300-470 AD:
- His play about a couple in Vedic mythology, Pururavas and Urvashi, being titled Vikramorvashiya, with "Vikram" for "Pururavas", could be an indirect tribute to a patron possibly named Vikramaditya.
- Kumaragupta was the son of Chandragupta II Vikramaditya. The title of Kalidasa's epic poem, Kumarasambhava, about the begetting of Kartikeya, the god of war who was the son of Siva and Parvati, could be an indirect tribute to either of these royal patrons.
- The mention of Huns in his epic poem, Raghuvamsa, could be a veiled reference to the victory over them of Kumaragupta's son and successor, Skandagupta. Alternatively, the campaign of Raghu in this poem may have been modeled on the celebrated campaigns of Chandragupta II Vikramaditya's father, Samudragupta.
Location
Scholars have speculated that Kalidasa may have lived either near the Himalayas or in the vicinity of Ujjain. The two speculations are based respectively on Kalidasa's detailed description of the Himalayas in his Kumarasambhava and the display of his love for Ujjain in Meghaduta.
Works
Plays
Kalidasa wrote three plays. Among them, Abhijñanasakuntalam ("The Recognition of Shakuntala") is generally regarded as a masterpiece. It was among the first Sanskrit works to be translated into English, and has since been translated into many languages .
- Malavikagnimitra ("Malavika and Agnimitra") tells the story of King Agnimitra, who falls in love with the picture of an exiled servant girl named Malavika. When the queen discovers her husband's passion for this girl, she becomes infuriated and has Malavika imprisoned, but as fate would have it, Malavika is in fact a true-born princess, thus legitimizing the affair.
- Abhijñanasakuntalam ("The Recognition of Shakuntala") tells the story of King Dushyanta who, while on a hunting trip, meets Shakuntala, the adopted daughter of a sage, and marries her. A mishap befalls them when he is summoned back to court: Shakuntala, pregnant with their child, inadvertently offends a visiting sage and incurs a curse, by which Dushyanta will forget her completely until he sees the ring he has left with her. On her trip to Dushyanta's court in an advanced state of pregnancy, she loses the ring, and has to come away unrecognized. The ring is found by a fisherman who recognizes the royal seal and returns it to Dushyanta, who regains his memory of Shakuntala and sets out to find her. After more travels, they are finally reunited.
- Vikramorvasiya ("Pertaining to Vikrama and Urvashi") tells the story of mortal King Pururavas and celestial nymph Urvashi who fall in love. As an immortal, she has to return to the heavens, where an unfortunate accident causes her to be sent back to the earth as a mortal with the curse that she will die (and thus return to heaven) the moment her lover lays his eyes on the child which she will bear him. After a series of mishaps, including Urvashi's temporary transformation into a vine, the curse is lifted, and the lovers are allowed to remain together on the earth.
Poetry
Kalidasa is the author of two epic poems, Raghuvamsa ("Dynasty of Raghu") and Kumarasambhava ("Birth of Kumara"). Among his lyric poems are Meghaduta ("Cloud Messenger") and ?tusamhara ("The Exposition on the Seasons").
- Raghuvamsa is an epic poem about the kings of the Raghu dynasty.
- Kumarasambhava is an epic poem which narrates the birth of Parvati, Parvati being sent by her father to serve the meditating Siva, Manmadha attempting to create love in Siva for Parvati, Siva destroying Manmadha in his fury, Parvati's penance for Siva, Siva agreeing to marry Parvati, Siva and Parvati living in marital bliss, etc.
- ?tusamhara describes the six seasons by narrating the experiences of two lovers in each of the seasons.
- Meghaduta or Meghasandesa or Meghadoota is the story of a Yaksha trying to send a message to his lover through a cloud. Kalidasa set this poem to the 'mandakranta' meter known for its lyrical sweetness. It is one of Kalidasa's most popular poems and numerous commentaries on the work have been written.
Style
Kalidasa's poetry is celebrated for its beautiful imagery and dazzling use of similes. The following are some specimen verses from his works:
sthitAh kshanam pakshmasutaDitAdharA payOdharOtsE dhanipAtaCUrnitA
valIsAtshyuh sKalitah prapEdirE cirENanAbhim pradhamOda bindavah (Kumarasambhava)
As Parvati was meditating, the first rain drops of the monsoon fell on her. The rain drops which came from above fell on her
eyelids and stayed for one full second on her eyelashes. Then they fell down and hit her lower lip. From there, they fell on her breasts and
were pulverised. From there, the drops slipped through the folds of her tummy. After a long struggle, the drops somehow escaped the folds and
settled in her navel.
na pruthagjanavaccu cOvasam vasinAmutthamaganthumarhasi
drumasAnumtAm kimantaram yadivAyau dvitayEpitEcalA (Raghuvamsa)
O king! you are the finest among men with self-control. It is not fit of you to be struck by sorrow like the ordinary folk.
If a great wind can move a tree and a mountain equally, how is the mountain better?
anAghrAtam puspankisalayamalUnankararuhe
ranAviddam ratnam madhunavamanAswAdi tarasam
aKandam puNyanAm Palamiva catadrUpamanamam
najAnE bhoktArankamiha samuvastasyatividhi (Abhijñanasakuntalam)
who is this girl, like a flower that hasn't been smelled, like a tender leaf that hasn't been pressed by nails, like a jewel in which a hole
hasn't been bored, like a new honey that hasn't been tasted. Her beauty is the fruit of unbounded good deeds. Do not ask me who God has chosen
to enjoy her beauty.
sancArinI dIpasikhEvarAtrau yamyam vyatIyAhA patimvarAsA
narEndramArgAtta ivavrapEdE vivarNabhAvam nanabhUmipAlah (Raghuvamsa)
As Indumati walked past each king and went to the next king (in a ceremony of choosing her husband), the king's face would turn bright and then
pale. it was like watching a line of houses in the night as a dazzling lamp passed by.
apituraga samIpadutpatam tammayUram
sasaru cirakalApam bAnalakshicakAra
sapadigata manaskaccinna mAlyAnukIrnE
rativigaLitabandekEsapAsEsukEsyah(Raghuvamsa)
Dasaratha saw many beasts as he was hunting. Although, he saw a peacock fly very close to his chariot, he did not shoot his arrow. For, as the
peacock spread its tail feathers before him, it reminded him of his wife's hair adorned with flowers of different kinds and how it would become
disarranged during their lovemaking.
sApaurAn paurakAntasya rAmsyAbhyudaya Srutih
pratyekam hlAdayAncakrEkulyEvO dyAnapAdapAn (Raghuvamsa)
The news of the beloved Rama being crowned as king gave special joy to every citizen, like a stream that wets every tree in a garden.
Critical Esteem
Many oriental and occidental scholars have written commentaries on the works of Kalidasa (particularly on the two epic poems and the Meghaduta). The most studied ones are those of Kolachala Mallinatha Suri, written in the 15th century during the reign of the Vijayanagar king, Deva Raya II. The earliest surviving commentaries appear to be those of the tenth-century Kashmirian scholar Vallabhadeva. Eminent Sanskrit poets like Ba?abha??a, Jayadeva and Rajasekhara have lavished praise on Kalidasa in their tributes. Anandavardhana, a highly revered critic, considered Kalidasa to be one of the greatest sanskrit poets ever. Only a tiny handful of the hundreds of pre-modern Sanskrit commentaries on Kalidasa's works have been published to date. Such commentaries furnish evidence of a gradual revision of the his poetry over the centuries.
Kalidasa's Abhijñanasakuntalam was one of the first works of Indian literature, that became known to Europe. It was first translated to English and then from English to German. It was received with wonder and fascination by eminent poets like Herder and Goethe. The inspiration this work evoked in the literary circles of Germany is best described in Goethe's words:
"In case you desire to rejoice in the blossoms of early years, the fruits of age advanced
In case you want to have something that charms, something that is enchanting
In case you want to call both heaven and earth by a common name
I refer you to the Sakuntala, and thus I describe these all"
"Here the poet seems to be in the height of his talent in representation of the natural order, of the finest mode of life, of the purest moral
endeavor, of the most worthy sovereign, and of the most sober divine meditation; still he remains in such a manner the lord and master of his
creation "
Kalidasa in modern culture
- Mohan Rakesh's play in Hindi, Ashad ka ek din(A Day In The Month Of Ashad), tries to capture the conflict between the ethereal beauty repeatedly portrayed in Kalidasa's works and the harsh realities of his time.
- Surendra Verma's Hindi play Athavan Sarga, published in 1976, is based on the legend that Kalidasa could not complete his epic Kumarasambhava because he was cursed by the goddess Parvati, for obscene descriptions of her conjugal life with Lord Shiva in the eighth canto. The play depicts Kalidasa as a court poet of Chandragupta who faces a trial on the insistence of a priest and some other moralists of his time.
- Asti Kashchid Vagarthiyam is a five act Sanskrit play written by Krishna Kumar in 1984. The story is a variation of the popular legend that Kalidasa was mentally challenged at one time and that his wife was responsible for his transformation. Kalidasa, a mentally challenged woodcutter, is married to Vidyottama, a learned princess, through a conspiracy. On discovering that she has been tricked, Vidyottama banishes Kalidasa asking him to acquire scholarship and fame if he desires to continue their relationship. She further stipulates that on his return he will have to answer the question, Asti Kashchid Vagarthah" ("Is there anything special in expression?"), to her satisfaction. In due course, Kalidasa attains knowledge and fame as a poet. Kalidasa begins Kumarsambhava, Raghuvansha and Meghaduta with the words Asti ("there is"), Kashchit ("something") and Vak ("expression.")
- Dr. Bishnupada Bhattacharya's "Kalidas o Robindronath" is a comparative study of Kalidasa and the Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore
Further reading
- K.D. Sethna. Problems of Ancient India, p. 79-120 (chapter: "The Time of Kalidasa"), 2000 New Delhi: Aditya Prakashan. ISBN 81-7742-026-7 (about the dating of Kalidasa)
See also
External links
- by Arthur W. Ryder
- publishes classical Indian literature, including the works of Kalidasa with Sanskrit facing-page text and translation. Also offers searchable corpus and downloadable materials.
- at The Online Library of Liberty
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